I am a crusader for Good Governance. My mission is to contribute to the promotion of Good Governance and more specifically Democracy ideal for Uganda.

Friday, June 29, 2012

MUSEVENI WILL HEED TO PUBLIC OUTCRY AND NOT RETURN COME 2016

I am not sympathetic to President Museveni that he has uncompleted business so he has to remain in power. Museveni will complete business the day His creator terminates him, so the assumption that he can solve Uganda's problem is simply to deceive himself. While oil prospecting was started during his time as President, this is no passport that he has to preside over its exploitation, and this is where the biggest problem comes from. For a person from a humble origin to the extent that at some time in his lifetime the Byanyima family played a role in caring for him, he should thank God that he has been able to preside over Uganda for such a time. However, it is wrong for him to assume that he has the solutions to Uganda's problems. He is so compromised that the country is steadily and surely in reverse gear. The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has reported deduced revenue collections, the problem is Museveni Presidency. It was a grave mistake to have come back in 2012. His struggles to retain the Presidency have cost the country a lot such that businesses are in negatives. Imagine at the time when the East African Monetary Union is in pipeline, a serious Government decides to pour money for the sake of buying off voters. We as Ugandans with some integrity think that enough is enough with this type of gambling and politics of patronage for the sake of Museveni staying in power. Simple common sense shows that if Museveni is to come back in 2016, the depreciation will be far worse. It is time that the NRM got wiser and did what is expected of its mandate, advise Museveni simply to retire come 2016.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
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56% OF UGANDANS SAY MUSEVENI SHOULD RETIRE - RESEARCH
Posted by Sandra Birungi on May 23, 2012
By Mirembe Martina
Despite having won by 68% in the 2011 elections, support for President Museveni is gradually falling with an overwhelming 56% of the people saying he should not stand come 2016.
The research was carried out by Research World International (RWI) who carried out the research in several areas across the country. The results reveal that 65% of people in Kampala believe that he should retire, the west was at 59%, the north at 58%, the east at 53% and central at 51%.
Dr. Patrick Wakia, the lead researcher and chief executive officer at RWI, revealed that the research was carried out between March 19 and April 6. He said it was aimed at understanding “public opinion on the social, political and economic direction of Uganda since the general elections in 2011.”
Just one year down the road, supporters of President Museveni seem to regret his presidency as the country shows the most discontent over his mode of rule in the country. According to Dr Wakida, the poll was meant to get public views on President Museveni’s rule in his fourth term as president.
35 per cent said he should stand in come 2016. They were answering the question, “Should President Museveni contest again in 2016?
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PASTOR JOSEPH SSERWADA SAYS MUSEVENI SHOULD RETIRE
Posted on Apr 8, 2012 at 8:33 am
As a student of political science, Pastor Joseph Sserwada now chairman of the Born Again Federation says Museveni came out as a great leader who has taken this nation to another level. He however noted that it would be so sad if he left on a bad note after people forced him out of office.
Pr. Joseph Sserwada: Even his opponents feel that there is a strange powerfulness to his personality. That is a God given gift. But my President has to realize that where he has had 25years, Jesus did his mission in 3years only. Today Jesus has billions of followers who revere him as their savior and spiritual healer. 25years of a repeated choice is a sign that he has performed beyond common expectation. But the remaining challenge is especially the economic and governance issues, should be carried on to be solved by the next leadership.
During his Easter message at a News conference today, Sserwada says this Easter, Uganda has found itself under the spirit of riots, violent confrontation and open defiance to the police. Such activities according to Pastor Sserada can be reduced to two political heads who need to reconcile for the good of the country, but this he says will best be achieved under spiritual reconciliation. On Good Friday where religious leaders took a center stage, many strong messages came out for Pastor Joseph Sserwada reconciliation being his main topic of concern.
Pastor Sserwada: Both President Museveni and Dr. Kizza Besigye confess to be Christians. We have seen them in church, and we have seen them rubbing shoulders with the clergy. I appeal to their religious leaders to bring about a round table type of meeting and facilitate dialogue for them.
He urged government to look carefully at the marriage and divorce Bill so that it can meet its targets other than destroying holy matrimony.
Pastor Sserwada: This country needs a new law to cater especially for christian marriages since the Muslims have theirs of 1906 and most especially on the wake of the vehement attack on our society by homosexuals.
In all pastor Sserwada urged society to promote love justice and righteousness not only for this Easter season but forever.
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I WILL RETIRE AT 75 - MUSEVENI
Posted by Sandra Birungi on May 14, 2012 0 Comment
By Sandra Birungi
During an interview last week, President Museveni revealed that he will retire at 75 years. Currently 68 years, retirement is knocking at the door of the 25 year Ugandan president who still wants to run for presidency come 2016 amidst heavy criticisms.
“But I think after the age of 75 there is some scientific idea there that may be the vigor is not as much as before. So that one I would quarrel so much, I know there are some leaders who have been leading even beyond the age of 75 but I think if you want very active leaders it is good to have ones below the age of 75,” Museveni said in an interview on NTV’s Hot Spot last week.
President Museveni was speaking about the term limits that have got the country debating on whether they should be restored or not.
Answering the question about his personal views on presidential term limits, President Museveni said it was a lot of nonsense. “My view is that it is a lot of nonsense because as long as there is election the people should elect. And there are some good examples. And indeed all European countries do not have term limits. Except US, but all the others—Britain, I think even France, certainly I know Israel. So as long as people are electing that will be the limit. And, if the people don’t want you that will be the end of the story. So, it is a diversion and not a serious issue in my opinion.”
In response to religious leader’s criticisms, Museveni pointed out that they should mind their own business and leave politics. ”
That is none of their business those religious leaders. They have a lot of work to do — preach the gospel of God. And from what is happening I don’t think they are doing the work very well because we have all these young people who are taking drugs, engage in prostitution and even the corruption they are talking about starts from the homes and the families. So they should spend a little more time preaching the gospel.”
Speaking about National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s unity, Museveni revealed that anyone in the party is free to go and stay as they please. “That is very simple. NRM is like a railway station. There are normally arrivals and departures. But the railway station never closes.
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PLEASE STEP DOWN IN 2016, BIDANDI TELLS MUSEVENI
Wednesday, 25 January 2012 23:29
Written by Observer Media Ltd
In the letter, dated January 14, 2012, Bidandi Ssali, who led Museveni’s re-election campaign on two occasions, pleads with the President to step down in 2016

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Below is the letter in full:
14/01/2012
His Excellency,
General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
President, Republic of Uganda,
State House, Kampala.
Your Excellency,
We have just started another year 2012 and as I usually do, I write, this time though in confidence, to wish you good luck and good health. No doubt 2011 has been a trying year for most people in Uganda including yourself who has been at the helm of its leadership. Admittedly, there have been some positives for which your leadership must be commended.
I have in mind for instance the sustenance of the integrity of Uganda from the point of view of the overall security as compared to the previous years; the freedom of the media which very few countries in Africa can boast of, although now threatened by the impending obnoxious Media Bill we all pray should be withdrawn; and the internationally recognized role played by our Uganda soldiers under AMISON in Somalia in spite of the high price paid by Ugandans in terms of soldiers lost so far.
Unfortunately however, the year was heavily dented with both natural catastrophes like the fatal land slides of Bududa and other districts, and man made calamities which should have been avoided.
The latter include the fatal famine which hit Eastern Uganda most, causing a heavy toll of children deaths simply because their parents could not find food and water for them and more important because your government failed to anticipate this eventuality and prepare a solution in spite of this dry season being a perennial occurrence in Eastern Uganda; the savage inhuman violation of human rights mainly perpetrated by the ‘police’ whom I personally refer to as trained terror squads clad in police uniform, the recent end of year apology by the Inspector General of Police Lt. General Kayihura not withstanding; the naked crude plunder of the country‘s resources by shameless sharks who dominate your leadership.
In fact Your Excellency may wish to know that no regime in Uganda has ever been as corrupt as the one you are presiding over and your insensitivity to the appeals from voices of caution from all across the social strata of the people of Uganda and beyond, made 2011 one of the most trying years for Ugandans since independence.
2011 will likewise be remembered for having brought to the fore the oil measles sores that had for long been eating deep in the foundation of the future stability of Uganda again masoned by the most trusted political lieutenants of your leadership. The litany is endless. I have not for instance mentioned the land grabbing, the level of impunity of your leadership in entrenching tribalism and ethnicity in the social, economic and political fabric in the governance of the country which in my view is destined to hatch a Somali epoch in Uganda sooner or later; your deliberate systematic destruction of the institutions of governance (for instance local governments are no longer people‘s institutions through which they participate in their own governance); the extent to which the destruction of the environment throughout the country has reached, etcetera.
All in all Mr. President, as we lament the dark side of 2011, lets discern what should turn out to be its silver lining and use it as a lesson and an eye opener for us all leaders to acquire a fresh stance on leadership and a need to define a fresh approach to governance. The good thing about human nature is that people forget too soon as soon as the conditions that subjected them to suffering are no longer obtaining.
It is on the ground of this belief that I tender to Your Excellency my unequivocal advice on how Your Excellency should steward Uganda up to 2016. I do sincerely believe, and I have no regrets about it, that given the current political realities and the catastrophic precipice towards which the country is drifting, you are the major player if not the only player who can once again salvage Uganda.
This time though there will be no risks involved on your part or your family. You will not need the bush or guns. There will be no spilling of human blood or destructions of property. All Your Excellency needs to do is to subdue your ego and heave out a resolve, a public resolve, that “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I HAVE PLAYED MY PART; MADE MY CONTRIBUTION TO MY COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE OF UGANDA; NO DOUBT, I HAVE MADE MISTAKES LIKE ANYBODY HUMAN, I DECLARE TO THE PEOPLE OF UGANDA AND THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT THIS IS MY LAST TERM IN THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF UGANDA AND THIS TIME I MEAN IT“.
With such a resolve Mr. President, in just an instant, you will have disarmed every enemy of yours, real or perceived, without firing a bullet, and set this country on course a new plane that will make Your Excellency immortal for generations. That is the legacy you will and should cede to posterity. With this option you will be faced with one apparent great challenge, and that is, who should be your successor.
Again I advise that, Your Excellency should not wreck your head over the issue of succession. The people of Uganda will reward you with the best choice to succeed you. All your Excellency needs to do is to use the remaining period of your last term to create conditions and an environment which will ensure free expression and choice by the people through their votes and ensure an environment such as you created in the mid eighties when you had just taken over power in which people freely and happily lined behind candidates of their choice- of course I am not saying we go back to lining.
In addition to the afore said, I suggest two other major areas you should focus in the remaining period of your leadership of Uganda. One is corruption. Your Excellency must rediscover within yourself the internal lenses that will fine tune your full vision of the corruption malady which is bleeding the citizens of Uganda to death. Fortunately, the current Parliament is already aflame on this issue of corruption and I must thank you for having publically appreciated and encouraged Members of Parliament to intensify their resolve to expose the plunderers.
However, I urge you Mr. President not to stop at encouragement alone. Please join the war front. You appointed all those leaders being accused of theft and embezzlement of public funds and other public resources. How do you continue to trust those individuals to remain and deliberate in the highest organ of the Executive of the country, the Cabinet? Why wait for Parliament to pass a vote of no confidence instead of you asking the culprits to step aside until cleared by legal procedures? Why are you vouching for some suspects on ground of their being loyal to you and trusted by you?
Your Excellency must come to terms with the reality that those thousands of children dying of hunger and lack of access to drugs and other health facilities; those thousands of women dying during child delivery in hospitals throughout the country; the abject living conditions subjected to teachers, doctors and other civil servants, the swarms of street children that are growing by the day in all urban centres of Uganda, plus, plus, are all mainly consequences of the stealing of public resources for personal aggrandizement by the leaders you have personally chosen to serve the people.
The Excellency of the erstwhile Museveni of the 80s and 90s was never known to be able to tolerate that impunity. The second focus is the oil. About four years ago, I wrote to you on the need for transparency while handling matters of oil and the imperative of generating a national oil policy through Parliament. Your response was that “the policy was already there“. I am certain that if you had heeded, your avowed colleagues who are now implicated in the oil saga would not have fallen prey.
Any how, my appeal to Your Excellency is to extend a similar appreciation and encouragement to Parliament so that a national policy on oil is eventually evolved. Of course your locus-standi in the leadership of the country avails you with the opportunity to steer the debate. That will be democratic. Mr. President, we must avoid subjecting our country to rigors of the international oil vultures. We must be careful in locating the interests of our country within the maze of interests of the international politics and oil cartels.
Finally Mr. President, this talk about talks between Your Excellency and my younger brother Retired Lt Col Dr. Besigye, please do not be averse to them. I say this well aware that the future of this country cannot be determined by the two of you but by the people of Uganda through laid down constitutional channels.
However, a meeting between Dr. Besigye and President Museveni will send a powerful reconciliatory message to Ugandans that the erstwhile foes of yesterday have at last met, shook hands and even shared a cup of tea.
This will go a long way in depolarizing the polity of Uganda from personalized individual Movements, to focusing building Political Parties as democratic institutions that can control leaders instead of the other way round, and capable of sustaining institutional democratic governance. Incidentally Mr. President, I waited in vain for an invitation for a meeting you had slated for November last year between Your Excellency and 1. I would have raised some of these issues with you then.
Your Colleague,
Bidandi-Ssali
want to continue go ahead. And there is nobody who will derail this railway but themselves.